Winston Wins District Championship 38-19

The Canton Academy Panthers came to beautiful Patriot Field on homecoming night looking to play the spoiler but after three quarters, the Patriots said no. Both teams came in to the game undefeated in district competition and Winston was undefeated overall. They put their undefeated records on the line and the district championship on the line. A capacity crowd came into the gate dressed in red and both teams came out firing. Winston got the ball to begin the ballgame and marched it down the field early and T.D. put it in the endzone for a touchdown run from a yard out. That would be the only points scored in the 1st quarter. Quickly though Canton Academy answered back and drove down the field with their speed and from 5 yards out Kyle Warren went off the left side and put it in the endzone as well to tie the ballgame at 7 points a piece. The teams went back and forth at each other with a few stops before Winston got the ball back with less than a minute left and a little under 50 yards of field to go. Thats when halloween came a week early and things started to get a little bizarre. Tyler Dalton threaded the needle for a 50 yard touchdown pass to Austin Harrison. But...... A flag flew down and a chop block was called on the offensive line pushing the Patriots back into their own territory. The very next play the same penalty was called and the Patriots had it 1st and 40 from deep in their own territory. Thats when T.D. threw it downfield to Austin who couldnt catch the ball but did get a pass interference called on the defense. That gave the Patriots a first and ten. T.D. then threw a strike to Austin for 25 plus and a first and goal from the 10. Td then rolled out and capped the drive off with a touchdown pass to Sophmore tightend/linebacker Rob Moffit. That gave the Patriots the halftime edge 14-7. After homecoming festivities at halftime, the second half began. And this drive started with excecution on the Panther's part as they drove it down the field and capped it off with a 17 yard pass from the quarterback Kyle Warren. The extra point though was blocked and Winston still had the lead at 14-13. Thats when the Patriot offense took over. Td on the next possession threw a 33 yard touchdown to Austin Harrison.On the next possession Corey Vernon, last week's temptco steel player of the game thanks to his 137 yards and a couple of touchdowns, took it in for another touchdown on the season from 17 yards out and Winston had the lead now 28-13 in the fourth. Canton got a touchdown run from a yard out and Canton made it clear that they were not going away in their fight for the district campionship. Winston again drove down the field with some great running from Tyler Dalton and Corey Vernonand the Patriots sealed the game with Corey Vernon running for his second consecutive touchdown of the ball game and the Patriot lead increased itself to 35-19. Canton came out looking to score quickly but made a big mistake and threw across the middle straight to the "Wee Man" linebacker Steven Arnett and the ball game was officially over. Winston would get 3 more points from a 32 yard field goal by Dylan Morgan and the Patriots remained unbeaten on the 2008 campaign. Coach Wyatt Rogers would be douced by the gatorade cooler as he won his Second District championship in his 3 year career and the Patriots as a team won their second in three of the last four years. Coach Rogers and his Number 1 ranked Patriots now turn to the final regular season game against arch-rival Starkville Academy. Starkville is now coached by former Winston Player and Coach Brian Sims. Coach Sims who has rebuilt the Winston program having sent them to the playoffs in all of the last 3 seasons has moved on to the AAA mark in the MPSA and makes his first trip back to Winston Academy this time in a different blue. The Blue and Orange look to avoid their 3 consecutive lost to Winston something that has never happened in the history of these two schools.